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Join on Telegram Rabat – Overnight stays in classified tourist accommodations (EHTC) in Morocco have exceeded 15.35 million in the first seven months of 2024, representing a considerable 8% increase from the previous year.
The latest statistics from the Moroccan Tourism Observatory reveal that overnight stays are split between national tourism, which fell by 3% to 4.4 million, and international tourism, which surged by 13% to 10.9 million in July 2024.
Several destinations have experienced a strong uptick, with Agadir leading at a 17% increase, followed by Al Haouz at 15%, and Marrakech, Casablanca, and Essaouira each up by 8%.
Rabat saw a modest 3% rise, while Tangier and Fez reported declines of 1% and 7%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
In terms of foreign currency earnings from non-resident tourism, Morocco generated MAD 59.39 billion ($5.9 billion) in the first seven months of 2024, an increase from MAD 57.39 billion ($5.7 billion) in 2023—a growth of 3.5%.
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For July, overnight stays in EHTC saw a 6% rise compared to July 2023, driven by a remarkable 17% increase from non-resident tourists, while stays by residents declined by 9%.
Performance among key tourist destinations in July varied compared to the previous year. Tangier reported a notable 15% increase in overnight stays, followed by Casablanca at 12%, Marrakech at 7%, Agadir at 6%, and both Rabat and Essaouira at 3%. Conversely, Al Haouz experienced a 3% decline, while Fez saw a 4% drop.
In terms of financial performance, travel receipts for July 2024 totaled MAD 10.2 billion ($1 billion), up from MAD 9.47 billion ($925 million) in July 2023, reflecting a robust growth of 7.7%.
In August, Morocco’s tourism revenues reached MAD 49 billion ($4.9 billion) in the first half of 2024, up from MAD 47.9 billion ($4.8 billion) during the same period the previous year. This increase was attributed to a surge in tourist arrivals, which totaled 7 million in the first six months of 2024.
Foreign tourists accounted for 54.2% of these arrivals, reflecting a 16.3% rise compared to the prior year, while the Moroccan diaspora made up 45.8% of arrivals, marking an 11.2% increase.
Additionally, data from the Directorate of Studies and Financial Forecasts (DEPF) indicated that tourism revenues rose by 1.6% by the end of May 2024, following a 4.2% decline in the first quarter of the year.
